Libyans Outlaws, U.s. Says Pan Am Bomb Case Goes To The Hague

March 28, 1992|The Washington Post

PARIS -- The United States on Friday accused Libya of sabotaging international efforts to fight terrorism by going to the World Court for protection from possible sanctions or attack in the case of the Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.

In response to Libya`s cries of intimidation, State Department legal adviser Edwin Williamson branded Libya an outlaw state that gave clandestine support to terrorists yet now seeks help from the World Court to dodge extradition demands approved by the world community.

The U.N. Security Council has demanded Libya`s cooperation in bringing to justice two Libyans suspected of carrying out the bombing, which killed 270 people.

``This is the first example in the court`s history in which a nation tried to use it to undo the work of the Security Council,`` Williamson told the court`s 16 judges in The Hague.

He said Libya`s appeal was part of a political initiative ``to invite the court into conflict with the Security Council.``

Libya is seeking an emergency ruling from the World Court to block the United States and Britain from taking economic or military action to compel Libya to extradite the two suspects, Abdel Basset Ali Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhima.

The Security Council is expected to pass a resolution next week that would cut air links to Tripoli, ban the sale of weapons and aircraft to Libya and call for the expulsion of most Libyan diplomats posted abroad.

The World Court, a judicial arm of the United Nations whose rulings depend on voluntary compliance, heard Libya`s arguments on Thursday that the United States and Britain are using ``illegal and arbitrary blackmail`` to gain custody of the two suspects.

Libya has cited international conventions as the basis for its claim that the two suspects should be tried at home -- a maneuver the United States and Britain reject as a mockery of justice.

Earlier this week, Libya proposed handing over the suspects to the United Nations, provided that they were not interrogated in the United States or Britain.

That condition is unacceptable to Washington or London, which insist that the Libyans stand trial in U.S. or British courts.

The U.S. representative said that Libya had no grounds to claim it was being intimidated or coerced.

The World Court is expected to hand down a preliminary ruling on Libya`s injunction request within three weeks, but resolving the matter of jurisdiction could postpone a final verdict for months if not years, court officials said.